Thirteen years after the Bamian Buddhas were blasted into rubble, opinion is split on whether to leave them as is, rebuild them, or make copies of them.

Seth Dixon‘s insight:

This video and article work together to show a ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse of this heritage site, or the remnants of the old memorial which is an iconic part of the cultural landscape in their own right but for very different reasons.  This is a great example of sequent occupance and some of the difficulties in preserving heritage.  Some argue that by restoring the Buddha it will undo some of the damage done by the Taliban and create a tourist destination; others think that the damaged Buddha is a poignant reminder of problems with ‘topocide’ and religious intolerance. 

Questions to Ponder: What do you think should become of this place?  How come?    

Tags: Afghanistan, political, culture, Central Asia, landscape, perspective.

See on www.nytimes.com